The Tristan da Cunha Conservation Department leads work to protect the islands' wildlife and control alien invasive species.

Conservation documents available to download

Photo taken by Sean Burns on 24th April 2017 shows a Tristan Albatross
flying alongside the fishing vessel MV Geo Searcher off Gough Island

The Tristan da Cunha Conservation Department, working with international partners including the RSPB, make available here current documents that will be useful to visitors, both with a general and professional interest in conservation and wildlife matters. Simply click on the blue links below to view or download the documents. Links start with the most recently published.

Tristan da Cunha's Blue Belt Plans

2017 Environmental Research Permit documents

For potential researchers seeking to do field work at the Tristan da Cunha Islands:

Ordinances and Management Plans

  • Tristan da Cunha Marine Management Plan 2021-2026, 20th September 2021

    Available as:

    In November 2020, the Island Council announced a Marine Protection Strategy for its entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to maintain marine ecosystems in a healthy, productive, and resilient condition so that they can continue to support the Tristan community.

    The Marine Protection Strategy includes: a large-scale no-take Marine Protection Zone covering more than 90% of the EEZ; carefully managed Inshore Fishing Zones with strengthened fisheries management measures; and Recommended Areas To Be Avoided for transiting cargo vessels. The Marine Management Plan outlines how the Tristan da Cunha Government (TdCG) will manage its waters in line with the Marine Protection Strategy.

  • 2015-2020 Gough and Inaccessible Islands World Heritage Site Management Plan [1.28MB]

    This plan was drafted by the Tristan Conservation Department in collaboration with the RSPB, and stakeholders on Tristan da Cunha, in the UK and South Africa.

  • 2006 Tristan da Cunha Conservation Ordinance [pdf 7.38MB]

    The Ordinance was published on 3rd February 2006, and presented at a ceremony, on the 9th February in Tristan's Prince Philip Hall celebrating the 500th anniversary of the islands' discovery, by His Excellency the Governor of St Helena and Dependencies, Michael Clancy, to Mike Hentley, the islands' Administrator; Anne Green, the Chief Islander; and James Glass, Head of the Tristan Natural Resources Department.

    The new Ordinance replaces the 1976 Ordinance, published in full in Man and Nature in the Tristan da Cunha Islands, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 1976 and written by NM Wace and MW Holdgate.